Engaging Students in Lecture: Flipping a Nutrient Management Course.

In the spring of 2017, the Soil Nutrient Relationships course, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), was delivered as a flipped course. The flipped course setting entailed students viewing online lecture presentations and completing comprehension quiz out-side of class. Supporting resources such as study guide and readings were also made available to students for each of the ten course modules. Face-to-face class times were used to explain difficult concepts, clarify common student misconceptions, address student questions, and engage in peer-to-peer interactions facilitated through clicker questions, case studies or problem set. Course assessment included weekly online quiz, case studies, nutrient management project, poster presentations, portfolios, and exams. Students completed a semester end survey questionnaires to gauge their perception and satisfaction of the flipped course. Course enrollment (N= 55) comprised mostly of junior and senior students majoring in Agronomy. Nearly 62% of the students had taken one or more flipped course in the past. Nearly thirteen percent of students did not understand the purpose and value of flipped course. Although 74% of the students perceived a high workload, nearly 80% reported that their learning in flipped course format was equal or better than their traditional lecture setting experiences. Although students and instructors found that the flipped classroom required more planning and preparation. Student feedbacks will be used to make adjustments in future offerings.